From the same studio that made the blockbuster hit “Sound of Freedom” comes the extraordinary new film “Cabrini,” the story of an Italian immigrant woman whose tenacity and faith lead her to overcome every obstacle she faces in order to create her “Empire of Hope.”
Award-winning director of “Sound Of Freedom,” Alejandro Monteverde, and Angel Studios have brought to life the story of an Italian nun named Francesca Cabrini who set sail on a passenger ship in the late 1800s for New York City with little more than a few personal belongings along with six of her Missionary sisters.
Her dream was to establish a home for orphaned immigrant children along with schools and hospitals, not only in the West but eventually all across the world.
As a description of the movie reads, “Through her willpower, courage, compassion, and business skill, she overcame sexism and violent anti-Italian bigotry while fighting against an establishment seeking to hold her back.”
The film is aided by a star-studded cast of actors such as John Lithgow (“Third Rock from the Sun,” “The Old Man”), David Morse (“The Green Mile,” “The Rock” ), and Giancarlo Giannini (“Quantum of Solace,” “Casino Royale”).
It’s actress Cristiana Dell’Anna, however, who is the driving force of the film. Her compelling portrayal of Cabrini causes the audience to cheer for her as she fights against the various leaders who don’t want her orphanage or dreams to disturb the status quo.
Courtesy: Angel Studios. ‘Cabrini,’ 2024. Cristiana Dell’Anna.
The film takes just a snippet of Cabrini’s life, focusing very little on her early childhood growing up in Northern Italy with poor health and nearly drowning as a child. It starts with the first step to making her dream a reality when she must fight just to get the chance to speak to Pope Leo XIII about her plans to take care of the children in the East and work her way to the West.
Without giving away too much, the Pope ends up supporting her goal and tells her to start in the West first and work her way to the East. So she does.
She sets sail for America in 1889 and arrives in New York City, in the slums called Five Points. The first night there, Cabrini and her fellow sisters are “greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children,” as Angel Studios noted.
With no place to sleep, the sisters end up meeting a prostitute who sticks out her neck and gives them shelter for one night. That moment creates a bond between Cabrini and the woman that proves instrumental to each of their futures.
While there, Cabrini ends up finding the homeless, abandoned children who are living “no better than the rats,” as a New York Times reporter would later label his piece. It is that article that not only brings the sisters the financial means to finally help the kids and support the orphanage, but it also brings to her doorstep those who want her out of the town and country.
Over and over again the Italian nun must fight to be heard, first with the local archbishop (David Morse) who tries to chase her out of town, and next with Mayor Gould (John Lithgow).
Courtesy: Angel Studios. ‘Cabrini,’ 2024. Cristiana Dell’Anna and David Morse.
Cabrini, who later in life became the Patron Saint of Immigrants, found incredible success after immigrating to America. Over the course of “34 years she [Cabrini] established an astonishing 67 hospitals, orphanages, and schools [around the world]. Her energy was fueled by an intense focus on serving Jesus in whatever he asked of her and her legacy still stands today,” Angel Studios noted in a press release.
Daily Wire spoke to longtime film producer Jonathan Sanger who said that as far back as 2018, he was approached to produce a movie about the Italian immigrant who became the first patron saint.
Although he couldn’t see how a patron saint would fit into the kind of films he makes, the more he learned about Cabrini the more interested he became. As he told The Daily Wire, he came to realize she was an “extraordinary woman,” way ahead of her time.
“First of all, you want the audience to talk about the movie,” Sanger told us. “You also want them to walk away with something to talk about. Something to think about. And to me thinking about what you personally can do. You may not be able to do what Mother Cabrini did, but any little thing that you do is an important step. And I think that’s a good thing to come away with.”
When it came to the script, Sanger said they used quotes and phrases Cabrini actually said during her lifetime. One of the many that stood out to him was, “We can serve our weakness, or we can serve our purpose. We can’t do both.”
The film’s producer said he hopes the audience comes away with the realization that one person really can make a difference.
Movie reviewers have called “Cabrini” an “epic tale,” ”beautiful,” and more.
“Her unwavering faith feels genuine and guides her every action,” one reviewer wrote. “The legendary Giannini does not have a ton of scenes but commands all of them. Morse makes his ambivalent, seeming archbishop relatable. Lithgow is terrific as the corrupt mayor.”
Another reviewer added, “Cabrini takes you through the gamut of emotions. Parts of it are intensely dramatic, others unexpectedly humorous.”
“Thinking about what the children go through is scary,” the review added. “Most important of all, realizing what Mother Cabrini accomplishes is downright inspiring, as it reminds us we all have the power to make a difference. This is destined to be one of the biggest feel-good movies of the year.”
While a third wrote, “Cabrini is a spellbinding, tender and empowering journey. It will make you stand up and cheer.”
Over on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, “Cabrini” has scored an 89% critics score.
Angel Studio hopes “Cabrini” will be just as successful as “Sound of Freedom,” which became the “16th highest grossing independent film of all time” and “made over $240 million worldwide, “ the studio noted.
“Cabrini” hit theaters nationwide on March 8, 2024.